Your dog can contract kennel cough either by coming in contact with areas that infected dogs were in, contact with infected dogs or through inhaling contaminated air. That’s why as dog owners you must always be on the look-out for kennel cough symptoms. 

It’s highly contagious and can remain communicable for weeks even when your dog’s symptoms have disappeared. Normally cough symptoms will be present around 3-5 days following initial contact with the disease.

The symptoms will typically comprise of vomiting, coughing, gagging and sneezing or snorting. An additional symptom of kennel cough is fever. However not all dogs exhibit this symptom.

This illness will typically last from 2 to 4 weeks. However it may last longer if your animal is placed in traumatic conditions. Just like humans if your dog is under pressure then its defense system will be frail which can lead to a recurrence of the cough.

One should always be on the lookout for cough symptoms as dogs will come in contact with potentially infected areas each day. For example dog toys and sidewalks.

They say prevention is better than cure, so it is wise to attempt to minimize the risk of your dog contracting the virus. The best way to do this is to have your vet give the dog a vaccination for the disease.

An easier way of preventing and minimizing kennel cough is through maintaining a clean area for your pet on a continuous basis.

If your dog is properly treated for kennel cough then it will recuperate in no time. Just be sure to identify the symptoms early, as early detection will enable you to effectively treat your pet.